MOUNT VERNON — On Friday, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., High Street was swamped with cars and youngsters. Not because of a parade or school, but for Halloween. The street was a hot spot for trick-or-treaters as costumes of superheros, movie characters and gruesome creatures cluttered the walkways.

Many of the homes were decorated, and residents sat out on their front porches to hand out candy.

“We buy a lot of candy because we know that we are going to have over 1,000 kids, usually,” said Susan Kahrl, East High Street resident. “And we have seen them dropped off in vans, and pick-up trucks filled with kids that jump out from different places in the county, and like to go trick-or-treating on East High Street.”

“[My wife and I have] lived over here for about eight years, and it seems like on the nice nights we can have anywhere from 800 to 1,000 kids,” said John Fair, another East High Street resident. “And what is so neat about it is that the neighbors all usually dress up, those that are going to give out candy.

“The neighbors mentioned to us when we moved here to be prepared for Halloween because there’s tons of kids; we really didn’t understand the scope of it until we moved into the neighborhood,” he said.

Decorating on High Street is a major attraction for the youngsters. Mallory Jones, dressed as Cinderella, saw the houses decorated for Halloween and had to come, said Kara Jones, her mother and a resident of Mount Vernon.

“It is fun, the kids seem to have a good time. A lot of people decorate and kids take pictures; it is pretty festive,” said Fair.

“It is a fun night and we try to make sure that we are prepared with lots of candy for all the kiddies that come by. We enjoy it,” said Kahrl.

A local service organization, Lions Club of Mount Vernon, arranges each year for crossing guards to help with the flow of car traffic and pedestrian trick-or-treaters during the busy night.

“I have shopped two different places, I try to find that last-minute, what-is-on-sale [item]. I already brought $70 worth of candy, but I have to have enough for a 1,000 kids and I know I am still about 300 pieces short,” said Ann Laudeman, also a resident of East High Street. “Word has spread that [High Street] is where everybody goes.”

Laudeman admits to being a little “stumped’’ about all of the youth who flock to High Street. From her observation of neighboring streets which also participate in giving out candy, she doesn’t understand why her particular street gets hit the hardest.

“I think it is a combination of people feeling that the residents on High Street are safe, what gets passed out,” she said. “For the most part, I think people like the convenience of the street with the curves; it is well lit and some of the houses are close together.”

Also, the city cleans the sides of the street of leaves.

“I think that is a big a help, so the kids aren’t shuffling through a big pile along the curb,” said Laudeman.

Throughout the years, Fair said he has seen the same families come back to trick-or-treat along High Street; to him, it seems like a tradition for most people.

“I am sure that there are other places in town that are just as busy, but I have never run into anyone who has seen 800 to 1,000 kids,” said Fair.

Trick-or-treat on East High Street has been a big event throughout the years, said Kahrl, and a lot of children come from around the county.

“I have seen kids come from other areas where the sidewalks are not as good, the streets are not as wide. And East High Street where we are, is not a state route and we don’t have a lot of through traffic.”

It is safer to trick-or-treat here than in other towns, she said, which is why many parents bring their children here.

A problem that can occur when there are so many children coming to one small area is there are not enough treats to go around. Some of the residents on High Street would like to see the crowd spread out a little bit, explained Laudeman, and go to some of the other streets that are close by.

“Knowing that other people sit with bags of candy [not given away] is sort of bizarre,” she said, referring to residents on the neighboring street who often bring candy to High Street to have given away. “[But] we want them to come to our house. We are happy to have them come to our door.”

Although she enjoys the holiday and the participation from youngsters and other residents, her concern is with supplying the candy, and the cost.

Laudeman remembers 20 years ago, when her children were in grade school, trick-or-treating was being discouraged because of the dangers associated with the event. The neighbors on High Street got together to organize a neighborhood trick-or-treat for the children of the residents.

“I would love to return to something like that, where people would organize within a neighborhood,” said Laudeman.

“I think trick-or-treat is a lot of fun for the kids and the adults that participate. It is really a nice community event that I would like to see continued,” said Kahrl. “It brings neighbors out, and we see a lot people that come to our door that we know and we get to visit. So it is a real friendly, congenial atmosphere for everybody.”